p. 684 | A Mother's Tact

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 12, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 43.

A Mother's Tact.

The mother was sewing busily, and Josie, sitting on the carpet beside her, and provided with doll, rounded scissors, and some old magazines, was just as busily cutting out pictures.

“It would litter the carpet.” So said Aunt Martha, who had come in for a cozy chat. Mamma knew this, but she also knew that a few minutes’ work would make all right again, and Josie was happy.

All went well until the little boy found that he had cut off the leg of a horse that he had considered a marvel of beauty. It was a real disappointment and grief to the little one.

“Mamma, see!” and, half crying, he held it up.

“Play he’s holding up one foot,” the mother said quickly.

“Do real horses, mamma?”

“Oh, yes, sometimes.”

“I will,” and sunshine chased away the cloud that in another minute would have rained down.

It was a little thing, the mother’s answer; but the quick sympathy, the ready tact, made all right. The boy’s heart was comforted, and he went on with no jar on nerves or temper, and auntie’s call lost none of its pleasantness.

“I am tired cutting pieces, mamma,” said Josie after a while.

“Well, get your horse-wagon, and play those bits of paper are wood and you are going to bring me a load. Draw it over to that corner by the fire, and put them into the kindling box; play that’s the wood-house.”

Pleased and proud, the little teamster drew load after load, till the papers were all picked up, without his ever thinking that he was doing anything but play.—Christian World.